---
title: 'AI Lead at protocolnine.com'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/ai-lead-protocolnine-com-san-jose-kzk3sxe01hcj'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-10-18'
---

# AI Lead at protocolnine.com

- **Company:** protocolnine.com
- **Location:** San Jose, CA
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** hybrid
- **Posted:** 2026-04-27
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-18
- **Apply:** https://jobs.gem.com/protocolnine-com/am9icG9zdDq60j4pkTbQxVPeSiLOb2EQ

## Job description

AI Lead (Small Language Models + Cybersecurity) Location: San Francisco Bay Area (preferred) / Remote Company: Protocol Nine

## About the Role

We are looking for an AI Lead to build the core intelligence layer of an AI-native security platform. This role sits at the intersection of small language model (SLM) development, agentic systems, and cybersecurity, and will define how models reason about intent, risk, and behavior in real-world environments.

You will lead the design, training, and deployment of specialized models that operate in constrained, high-performance environments (e.g., edge, real-time inference), and apply them to security problems such as threat detection, policy enforcement, and autonomous decision-making.

## What You’ll Do

Design & Train Small Language Models (SLMs)

- - Build domain-specific models optimized for latency, cost, and controllability
- Fine-tune models on security datasets (logs, network traffic, code, policies)
- Develop techniques for distillation, quantization, and efficient inference

Build AI-Native Security Systems

- - Architect models that reason about intent in security contexts

Develop detection systems for threats across:

- - - Network traffic
- Application behavior
- Integrate models into real-time decision pipelines (e.g., firewall, policy engine)

Agentic AI & Decision Systems

- - Design multi-agent systems for continuous monitoring, analysis, and response
- Implement feedback loops between detection, reasoning, and enforcement layers
- Ensure reliability, explainability, and controllability of autonomous systems

Model Infrastructure & Deployment

- - Optimize models for edge + distributed environments
- Build evaluation frameworks for adversarial robustness and false positives
- Work closely with engineering to productionize models (APIs, pipelines, scaling)

Security Research & Innovation

- - Stay ahead of emerging threats (e.g., AI-generated attacks, supply chain risks)
- Experiment with novel approaches (e.g., semantic code analysis, intent verification)
- Contribute to technical strategy and product direction

## What We’re Looking For

Core Requirements 5+ years in machine learning / AI engineering (or equivalent depth) Hands-on experience training or fine-tuning small or specialized language models Strong understanding of:

- - Transformer architectures
- Model optimization (quantization, pruning, distillation)
- Evaluation and benchmarking

Cybersecurity Experience Experience in at least one area:

- - Network security / firewalls
- Endpoint or cloud security
- Application security or code analysis

Familiarity with:

- - Threat detection systems
- Logs, telemetry, and security data pipelines
- Adversarial attack vectors

Systems & Engineering

- Strong programming skills (Python + ML frameworks like PyTorch/JAX)
- Experience deploying models in production environments
- Understanding of distributed systems and real-time inference constraints

## Nice to Have

## Experience with edge AI or low-latency systems

- Familiarity with agent frameworks / multi-agent systems
- Contributions to open-source ML or security projects

## Compensation

- Competitive salary + equity
- Early-stage ownership and high impact
- Opportunity to define a new category in security

## About protocolnine.com

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Protocol Nine is a stealth-mode cybersecurity startup building an AI-native security platform that leverages specialized small language models and agentic systems for real-time threat detection and automated policy enforcement.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Seed Stage – raised $8.8M of a $9.99M offering as of March 2026)
- **Headquarters**: Saratoga, California, United States
- **Founded**: 2025
- **Founders**: Sanjay Kalra and Murat Bog (named as executives in SEC filings)

## Core Business
- **Primary industry/industries**: Cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence, Network Security Infrastructure
- **Target customers**: Enterprise organizations needing next-generation network security and automated threat response
- **Mission or purpose statement**: To redefine network security by building an AI-native platform that provides real-time threat detection and automated policy enforcement, protecting critical assets in evolving digital environments.

## Products & Services
- **AI-Native Security Platform**: A next-generation security infrastructure platform that uses specialized small language models and agentic systems for real-time threat detection, automated policy enforcement, and adversarial robustness. The platform is designed for edge deployment and integrates into security pipelines.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not disclosed (private company)
- **Key Metric**: **Total Funding** – $8,799,989 raised from a $9,999,987 Series Seed offering (as of April 2026), with 9 investors.
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Details of the 9 investors are not publicly named in the SEC filing. The company is backed by undisclosed institutional or accredited investors.
- **Growth Signals**: The company successfully closed a seed round of ~$8.8M in its first year of operation (founded 2025, funding in early 2026). It is actively hiring for key technical roles (Backend Engineer, AI Lead), indicating rapid team expansion and product development.

## Competitive Advantages
- **AI-Native Approach**: Unlike traditional security vendors that bolt on AI, Protocol Nine is building its platform from the ground up around specialized small language models and agentic systems, potentially offering lower latency, better edge performance, and more adaptive threat detection.
- **Stealth Mode & First-Mover**: Operating in stealth allows the company to develop technology without competitive pressure, and its focus on agentic systems for security is a relatively new and high-value niche.
- **Compliance Ready**: The company has achieved SOC 2 compliance, a critical trust signal for enterprise customers.

## Strategic Focus
- **Product Development**: Completing the development and launch of its AI-native security platform, with a focus on real-time inference, policy enforcement, and agent orchestration.
- **Team Building**: Scaling the engineering and AI teams, as evidenced by active job postings for Backend Engineers and an AI Lead.
- **Market Entry**: Transitioning from stealth to a public launch, likely targeting enterprise clients in need of advanced network security.

## Why Work Here
- **High-Impact Role**: Employees will be building core infrastructure and AI models from the ground up in a well-funded, early-stage startup. The roles offer ownership over critical system components (policy management, real-time decision workflows, agent orchestration).
- **Cutting-Edge Tech Stack**: Work with specialized LLMs, agentic systems, graph databases, and real-time security pipelines — an attractive combination for engineers interested in AI and security.
- **Hybrid & Remote Flexibility**: The company offers a hybrid workspace (typical on-site time required) and roles are listed as "In-Office or Remote," providing flexibility for the right candidates.
- **Location**: Based in Saratoga, CA (Silicon Valley), with roles in San Jose, offering access to a major tech hub.
- **Culture**: As a stealth startup with a clear vision, the culture is likely fast-paced, mission-driven, and engineering-focused.

## Sources
1. [builtin.com](https://builtin.com/company/protocol-nine-inc)
2. [builtin.com (Jobs)](https://builtin.com/company/protocol-nine-inc/jobs)
3. [strike.fyi](https://strike.fyi/c/protocolnine-com)
4. [filingflow.app](https://filingflow.app/companies/0002127845)
5. [filingflow.app (Form D)](https://filingflow.app/filings/0002127845-26-000001)

## Other roles at protocolnine.com

- [Backend engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/backend-engineer-protocolnine-com-san-jose-r3zhzvjt1f9j) — San Jose, CA
- [AI Lead](https://feeny.ai/job/ai-lead-obrio-ukraine-nqve61jz6w62) — Ukraine